Markstrom keeps the net as Bedard brings a hot streak to Sunrise

This is a game Florida should win, and the way it wins matters more than the two points.

Chicago shows up having lost six of seven, with no road wins all year and Patrick Kane back home hurt. Monday's loss to Detroit left a bad taste. A clean, boring 60 minutes against a struggling team is exactly what the cats need before a weekend in Washington and Boston.

The catch is Connor Bedard. He has points in six straight games by our count, with 10 in nine games played. Roman Kantserov, his left winger, is on a five-game point streak of his own. Chicago doesn't have much depth behind it, but that particular line is dangerous every time it touches the ice.

The lineup card:

Paul Maurice made one change. Uvis Balinskis comes in on the third pair with Dmitry Kulikov, and Radko Gudas is a healthy scratch. Cole Reinhardt sits again.

• Brady Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk
• Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart, Sandis Vilmanis
• Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, Lars Eller
• Bokondji Imama, Cole Schwindt, Garnet Hathaway

On defense:

• Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad
• Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones
• Dmitry Kulikov and Uvis Balinskis

Eller is set to play his 1,200th NHL game. That's a lot of shifts spent doing the unglamorous stuff that never makes the highlight package.

The goalies

Jacob Markstrom is expected back in net for a second straight start. He stopped 24 of 28 against Detroit. That's an interesting call, because Akira Schmid won three in a row before that, stopping 65 of 70 shots, by our count. Markstrom has the job back, and tonight is his chance to make the crease feel settled again.

Chicago is expected to start Spencer Knight, who sits at .894 this season, per NHL data. His last five starts are a little better, at .903.

Who's out

Florida is still without Aleksander Barkov (knee), Brad Marchand (knee) and Jonah Gadjovich (upper body). Cooper Black went back to Charlotte now that Markstrom is healthy.

Chicago is missing Kane and Bowen Byram, both with upper-body injuries. Kane got hurt Monday against Colorado and didn't make the trip. Andrew Mangiapane and Kevin Korchinski are scratched, and Dillon Boucher, up from Rockford, makes his NHL debut on the fourth line.

Chicago's form

The Blackhawks are 4-10-1 and 1-3-1 in their last five, outscored by seven, per NHL data. Their power play is at 10.6 percent. They led Colorado 2-0 on Monday and then gave up five straight. That's a team that has learned how to lose a lead without anybody's help.

Head-to-head

Florida won the first meeting 3-2 in Chicago on Oct. 25. Schmid made 19 saves that night.

The one matchup:

Bennett's line with both Tkachuks against Bedard's line. Maurice has last change at home, and he should use it, because Bennett is the right guy to lean on Bedard all night.

Brady Tkachuk and Bennett each got a bump to about 19 minutes against Detroit, per NHL data, so Maurice already trusts that trio with more. If Bedard spends his night getting leaned on along the wall, Chicago has nothing else coming.

Watch the power play too. Florida's is at 23.5 percent. Reinhart and Verhaeghe both carry four-game point streaks into tonight.

Pabs' read:

Florida is a heavy favorite, around -258 on the moneyline with the total at 5.5. Heads up, though: the Panthers are 4-10 against the puck line this season by our count. I'm not trusting them to cover. I'm trusting them to win. Panthers 4, Blackhawks 2, Bennett with one and the Bedard line held quiet. (21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.)

How to watch

Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena. It's national on TNT and truTV, streaming on HBO Max. Radio is on WQAM and SiriusXM.